


Youth Transformed

by zuotian



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Gender Dysphoria, Gender Identity, Humor, M/M, Maito Gai-centric, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2019-12-26 02:34:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18274046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zuotian/pseuds/zuotian
Summary: A series of drabbles following Gai's lifelong struggle with gender identity.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> as a trans person myself this is very near and dear to my heart. i know there's a lot of trans kakashi fics out there, but i've always wanted to see something with trans gai. i think it would be very interesting and befit his character. he is the epitome of masculinity, but nothing else in his life was handed to him so why should this aspect of himself be? 
> 
> i am trying to force myself to write smaller stuff as i tend to draw things out. updates will be sporadic in nature and probably between larger WIPs, but i will try to be as frequent as possible. i'm gonna churn these out quick and without much editing.
> 
> kakashi/gai is endgame. rating will probably change as the story progresses. 
> 
> thanks for reading. please leave a comment/kudos.

Dai was the best father of all time. Gai knew this to be true and didn’t care what others had to say about Dai’s rank or skill - they just didn’t know how kind and strong he was. Whenever Gai had a question he never hesitated to ask for Dai’s input. Even when it came to very big questions, like what it meant to be a girl. 

 

They were in the middle of eating dinner. Dai had noticed something was bothering him but wasn’t expecting Gai’s blurted query, and blinked in surprise. “I might not be the best person to ask about that type of thing, kiddo,” he said carefully. 

 

“But you always have the answers,” Gai protested. 

 

Dai laughed. “That’s not true.”

 

Gai clenched his fists. “Don’t laugh at me!” 

 

Dai sobered upon seeing Gai’s tearful expression. He got out of his chair to kneel in front of him. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t laughing at you. I would never do that.” He took Gai’s hands. “What’s wrong? Why are you so upset? Did one of the other girls say anything?” 

 

“No,” Gai sniffed. “It’s not another girl.” 

 

“Oh.” Dai frowned for a moment, until his face paled with realization. “Did you, um… Did something, you know, start? It’s early, I haven’t talked to you about it - “ 

 

“No!” Gai repeated more forcefully. He wasn’t a little kid anymore, and while it was true Dai hadn’t yet explained the inner workings of puberty he understood what his father was implying. 

 

“Okay,” Dai said. He almost looked relieved. “That’s good. I mean, it’s not  _ not _ good, either! Youth blossoms at its own pace, dear. It can be a confusing time but nonetheless beautiful and invigorating!” 

 

Gai interrupted his father’s impending diatribe. “Papa!” 

 

Dai sheepishly quieted. “Sorry. Go on.” 

 

But Gai had trouble voicing his thoughts. He kicked his feet, irritated with himself. 

 

Dai grabbed his ankles, forcing Gai to still, and looked up at him with a serious expression Gai seldom saw. “You can tell me anything,” he vowed. 

 

Gai nodded and took a deep breath. Dai’s promise comforted him, but he still squeezed his eyes shut to avoid witnessing Dai’s immediate reaction. “I don’t want to be a girl! I want to be a boy instead!” 

 

Dai was silent for a long time. Gai’s heart hammered in his tiny chest. He opened one eye. His father didn’t look angry. He looked worried and confused. But Gai still had to ask: “Are you mad at me?” 

 

That spurred Dai to action. He slid his arms around Gai’s waist and pulled him into a tight hug. “Of course not!” 

 

Gai buried his face into the warm crook of Dai’s neck. “I’m sorry.” 

 

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Dai murmured. He held Gai at an arm’s length, mouth firm. “But I need to ask you some things.” 

 

Gai nodded. “Okay.” 

 

“Are you worried about your own strength? I don’t know what any of the boys have said, but kunoichi are just as capable as any other shinobi,” Dai explained. “It does not matter whether you are a boy or a girl. You can still become the taijutsu master I know you are destined to be!” 

 

“It isn’t that,” Gai said. 

 

“What don’t you like about being a girl, then?” Dai asked. “Is it something specific?” 

 

Granted permission to rant, Gai launched into complaints he’d been bottling up for a long time. “It’s everything! I hate my classes. The girls get all this extra stuff. We have to learn about flower arrangements and looking pretty while the boys get to practice shuriken. It’s not fair.” 

 

“That is all a part of espionage,” Dai said. “It is a good technique to learn. Sometimes men do it, but it is mostly left to kunoichi. That doesn’t mean you will have to take on those type of missions if you don’t want to.” 

 

“I don’t like it anyway,” Gai pouted. “I don’t want to learn about it at all. It makes me feel bad.” 

 

Dai squeezed Gai’s shoulders, pained to see his child so distraught. “Why do you feel bad?” 

 

Gai didn’t know how to explain it. “It makes me feel gross,” he eventually settled on. Gross was a good blanket term to use. It encapsulated his feelings of isolation, discomfort, and confusion, all of which were too complex for him to understand at his age. “I don’t like being with all the girls. They talk about boys and dresses and don’t like to get dirty. I put a worm up my nose and they didn’t think it was cool.” 

 

“I don’t know why,” Dai said. “That is a very cool trick, indeed!” 

 

“I  _ know _ ,” Gai humphed. “But nobody likes me.”

 

“I like you!” Dai gave him another hug to prove his point. 

 

Gai giggled and swatted at Dai, who pulled away. His face fell quickly, though. “I meant another kid. You  _ have _ to like me. You’re my papa.” 

 

“I certainly like you because I am your papa,” Dai agreed. “But you are also very caring, hardworking, and determined. Those are all fantastic traits to have as a future shinobi.” 

 

Gai wiped his eyes. He couldn’t stop himself from crying, as much as he wanted to. “I wish everybody was as nice as you, Papa.” 

 

“Hey, now…” Dai wiped his tears away with the calloused pad of his thumb. “Everything will be okay. You and your peers are still young and undisciplined. Children can be mean. But the beautiful thing about youth is how adaptable it is. Everyone will learn to appreciate you as much as I do. If you are nice, no matter how mean another person gets, eventually they will see that you are a truly compassionate individual worthy of their respect!” 

 

“I don’t think so,” Gai mumbled. 

 

“That sounds like the talk of a quitter! Are you a quitter?” 

 

“I don’t want to be.” 

 

“Then don’t be! It is as simple as that.” Dai reached around and thumped Gai’s back, in between his shoulder blades. “Stand up straight and lift your chin!” 

 

“Yes, Papa.” Obligingly, Gai straightened his posture without much cheer. 

 

“That’s better,” Dai said. “Now, if you want to be a boy, you need to know something. All boys become men. Men need to be very strong. They can never quit. You can never back down, no matter how much you want to. People will try to stop you from being who you want to be. You cannot listen to them. You have to listen to your heart and believe in yourself.” His face softened and his voice lowered. “What is your heart telling you right now?” 

 

Gai paused. For the first time in his short life he was intimidated by Dai’s exuberant manners. But he remembered what his father told him. He had to be strong. He couldn’t back down. He had to listen to his heart and believe in himself without fear. “I want to be a boy,” he quietly announced. 

 

Dai cupped his ear and leaned closer. “Excuse me? I could not hear you. Speak with confidence!” 

 

Gai inhaled, puffed his cheeks, and shouted: “I want to be a boy!” 

 

“Amazing!” Dai leaped onto his feet and flashed Gai a glorious thumbs up. “I am so proud of you! 

 

Gai mirrored his pose, albeit tentatively. “Thanks for cheering me on!” 

 

Dai laughed his signature booming laugh. He ruffled Gai’s hair and pulled him into his side. “If this is truly what you want, then it is your choice. I can talk to your teachers. I cannot promise you will be able to switch classes.  _ But _ ,“ Dai swung Gai up into his arms, “I can promise you that you can be yourself at home. I will never judge you.” 

 

Gai smiled brightly for the first time all evening. “Thanks, Papa.” 

 

“I would do anything for you,” Dai said. “Now, I have one more question. Do you want to change your name?” 

 

Gai nodded enthusiastically. Now that the bad stuff was out of the way he could tell his father the exciting part. “Yep! I already picked one out!” 

 

“I am sure it will be perfect.”

 

“It’s Gai,” Gai announced proudly. “It rhymes with your name! Cool, huh?” 

 

It was a bit on the nose, but Dai didn’t comment on that. “Super cool,” he confirmed. “It is, perhaps, the coolest name I have ever heard, Gai!” 

 

Gai gasped at hearing his father acclimate to the sudden change so soon. He flung his arms around Dai’s shoulders and kissed him on the cheek. “You’re the best papa of all time!” 

 

“Only because you are the best son,” Dai said, and returned the affection.   
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i haven't forgotten about this fic! 
> 
> i don't really wanna focus too much on gai's childhood because i've got a LOT!!!! of ideas about him and kakashi's burgeoning relationship (and respective sexualities - gay crisis anyone?!?!) but i figured i'd throw this in to introduce kakashi and shed some light on gai's, uh, situation.

Despite Dai’s best efforts Gai was barred from the boys’ classes on account of his birth sex. Shinobi tradition would not bend for most extraneous circumstances, least of all the whims of a child. Teachers and students alike regarded Gai’s new identity as a simple phase that would pass with time. So Gai made it a point to prove them wrong.

 

He cut his hair to his shoulders, wore a jumpsuit like his father, and began strength training at home to broaden his musculature. Nothing could be done about his voice - at least, not yet - so he started talking louder to make up for his high, feminine lilt. This didn’t really make anyone view him as masculine - just simply weirder than he was already.

 

But that was fine with Gai. The longer he kept up his antics the more he got away with them. After awhile, his teachers gave up on reprimanding him. So while the girls learned about stupid girl things Gai ran off to spy on the boys.

 

If he needed any other reason to despise being a girl, the fact that the boys sparred outside whilst the girls looked at diagrams of female organs was reason enough. Gai didn’t consider that he’d one day require information on the natural course of female development, because he mistakenly assumed he’d always have his papa to answer questions he declined from all other sources. For the moment, Gai just wanted to be free from any and all thoughts regarding the matter.

 

Palpable relief lightened the proverbial load on his shoulders the second he snuck out of the pre-Academy classroom. Once outside, Gai tracked loud boyish shouts and taunts to a nearby field where groups of boys wrestled and threw mud around.

 

Gai climbed up a tree and sat on a low, sturdy branch to observe the manly proceedings. If he had a single, self-aware bone in his body he’d feel like a creep hidden from view. As it was, he only felt like some sort of field researcher taking mental notes on foreign wild animals. Unlike the squeamish girls, the boys gained bruised knees, bloody noses, and split lips like badges of honor.

 

Gai desperately wanted to join in on the fun but wasn’t confident he’d be able to pull it off. He’d seen many boys spit on many girls, tug their hair, and call them mean names. Going off of the school’s attitude, he didn’t think the boys would welcome him into their rank on his word alone. In the shinobi world, appearances meant everything. Gai didn’t appear male or female. He didn’t belong anywhere. So, he relegated himself to watching the boys from afar.

 

It wasn’t that bad. He might not have been self-aware but he definitely had a little self-preservation. Enough to know that if he revealed himself he’d get the snot beat out of him. He’d need to get stronger than ever to prove himself. His papa promised he’d teach him something super cool and powerful, but until then Gai would have to wait. In the meantime, he scraped by in classes he didn’t intend, all thanks to a kind girl named Kurenai who took pity on him and shared her notes. She was very pretty and wore lipstick and made the other girls mad because she was growing breasts quicker than anybody else. But she didn’t take that stuff seriously at all - she was focused on getting stronger just like Gai, so he liked her a lot.

 

Today the boys were split up into groups. Their teachers gave up on corralling them a long time ago. Boys will be boys, the teachers said all the time. Gai wished they’d let him be a boy. It was a lot more work than he thought it’d be. He needed to study the boys very carefully.

 

The only thing he disapproved of was how mean the boys were. The one thing Gai liked about girls was that, for the most part, they were a lot nicer. Sure, they had their own catty disagreements about hair and makeup and the sizes of each other’s chests, but they weren’t sadistically cruel. The boys had a penchant for bullying the smallest and weakest among them. Even with the knowledge that he’d belong in the latter camp, Gai had to stop himself from jumping into the fray at times.

 

Gai noticed there was one boy who never participated in the usual roughhousing. He wore a cool, mysterious face mask and had white hair. His unusual appearance should’ve made him stand out, but he had a talent at disappearing into the trees at the perimeter of the training field. Today he was nowhere to be found. Upon noticing his absence, Gai abandoned his usual perch.

 

He located the strange boy deep in the forest. Gai tried his best to conceal his chakra and hid underneath a bush. The boy stood panting, kunai in hand, before a large, tall tree pockmarked with scars. He glared at the tree like it personally offended him, then closed his eyes.

 

The grass stirred underneath him as his feet turned blue with concentrated chakra. He flipped the kunai in his hand, then sprinted up the face of the tree trunk and slashed the bark before he fell back to the ground.

 

Gai’s mouth fell open. This kid was seriously good! He did the same thing again and again, marking the tree higher and higher, until he dropped, paused, and tilted his head.

 

Before Gai knew it the kunai whizzed toward him. He rolled away in the nick of time, just as the weapon embedded into the ground where he’d been laying. Gai ended up rolling out from his cover and landed stomach-down in clear view.

 

The boy stared at him, one eye covered by choppy bangs. “What are you doing?”

 

“Nothing!” Gai laughed nervously and climbed to his feet. “Just, um - “

 

“Wait a second.” The boy stepped closer and studied him. “You’re that girl who spies on everybody.”

 

Gai blushed. “I’m not a girl! And - and I don’t spy on anybody!”

 

“You hide in a tree and watch us all the time.” The boy reached into the bush to retrieve his kunai. He swung the blade around on his finger and smoothly deposited it back into the holster on his thigh. “What’s your problem?”

 

“I don’t _have_ a problem!” Gai crossed his arms and lifted his chin. “ _You_ have a problem! What are you doing out here by yourself?”

 

“I don’t like training with the others. Nobody can keep up with me.”

 

Gai’s awe quickly transformed to irritation. “You sound like a show off,” he sneered.

 

The white haired boy shrugged. “Maybe compared to people who aren’t skillful at all.”

 

Gai realized he was actually _taller_ than the other boy and smirked. “Whatever! I’m gonna become the strongest shinobi in Konoha!”

 

“Talk is cheap,” the boy said. He raked his one visible eye over Gai’s jumpsuit. “Your dad is the eternal genin, right? Figures,” he scoffed.

 

“Don’t talk about my papa like that! He’s gonna teach me a super powerful forbidden move one day, you know. And then I’ll kick your ass!”

 

“I doubt it.”

 

The boy flickered out of sight.

 

“Hey!” Gai jumped into a defensive position and looked around. “Where’d you go?!”

 

“I’m right here.”

 

Gai crumpled under the force of an elbow between his shoulder blades and fell to the ground, the wind knocked out of him. The other boy twisted his arms behind his back and sat on top of him.

 

“You’re pathetic,” the boy yawned.

 

Gai wriggled underneath him. “Get offa me!”

 

Undeterred, the boy tightened his grip to a painful degree. Gai gritted his teeth, determined not to show his discomfort.

 

“See?” the boy asked. “You’re just some stupid girl.”

 

Gai roared - he dug his nails into the boy's hands and used all of his strength to buck him off of his back.

 

The boy landed a couple feet away, blinking in surprise. Gai threw himself on top of him and swung his fist down.

 

The boy scowled, caught Gai’s hand, and punched him in the face. Gai grunted and fell backward, blood spraying from his nose.  

 

“Leave me alone,” the boy said, standing, “or I’ll tell the teachers you’re a stalker and you’ll get in trouble.”

 

“Fine,” Gai spat - literally, at the boy’s feet. “You’re an asshole, anyway.”

 

“And you’re a freak just like your dad.”

 

Gai swallowed his rage and took several deep breaths. He tried to think of what his father would do at times like these. So, he got up, wiped his nose, and grinned.

 

“I’m gonna prove you wrong,” he announced.

 

“And I’m gonna hit you again if you don’t get out of here,” the boy replied.

 

Gai held out his fist, then turned it perpendicular and stuck his thumb up. “Thanks for the fight! That was a lot of fun!”

 

The boy frowned. “You’re so weird.”

 

Gai laughed. He turned on his wheel and began walking away. “You haven’t seen the last of me,” he called over his shoulder. He’d make sure of it. For now, he couldn't wait to tell his papa that he got in his first real fight!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two updates in one day! i guess i'm making up for the month of no updates. also, i just couldn't NOT write this after the idea got in my head. gai and kurenai are the BFFs i never knew i needed until now. also, i've never written their generation in this era. it's a lot of fun to see them all somewhat happy and carefree, despite everything. 
> 
> this fic isn't gonna be a transgender tragedy orgy, but i do want to talk about some uncomfortable dysphoric topics. it's really cathartic for me, and a lot of fun.
> 
> bind safely everyone! i never used ace bandages, but i will never forget wearing a binder for the first time. it's a really magical experience. and they are very hard to put on at first lol. 
> 
> i've imported an OC from my other fic, A Challenging Day. hisako-san is just too much fun. she is gai's interdimensional grandma now i suppose.

Ever since his father’s death Gai came to rely on two people: Kurenai, who had treated him kindly since they were kids, and Kakashi, who treated him with less kindness but was a constant in his life all the same. 

 

But only Kurenai could be trusted with the matter which Gai currently struggled with. First of all, she was actually nice. Second of all, she was a girl. In all honesty, Gai would’ve ignored the problem altogether if Kakashi hadn’t pointed it out in a recent spar. 

 

Kakashi, predictably, gained the upper hand. He had Gai pinned to the ground, but fell short of delivering his finishing blow. 

 

“What’s your problem?” he asked, eyebrows knit in suspicion. It was the closest thing to concern he’d ever show. 

 

Prepared for a punch which never came, Gai un-scrunched his face and frowned. “Huh?” 

 

“You’ve been acting weird,” Kakashi said. “Weirder than normal.” 

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Rival!” 

 

Kakashi lightly thudded his fist on Gai’s chest. It wasn’t even a proper punch, but Gai yelped with exaggerated pain and scrambled out from under Kakashi’s hold. 

 

Kakashi stared at him as he rubbed his chest. “Like that.” 

 

Gai tried taking a deep breath, but his lungs wouldn’t expand properly, and he winced. “I’m  _ fine _ .”

 

“You’re wearing bandages,” Kakashi said, because of course he’d notice a small detail like that. “Did you break a rib or something?” 

 

“No - just forget it! I can still fight!” 

 

Kakashi shook his head. “It’s not fair if you’re indisposed.” He paused. “I mean, not that it’s exactly fair to begin with.” 

 

Gai forgot about his pain and scowled. “That’s not true! I’m finally catching up!”

 

“Not for long, if you’re injured. And you wouldn’t spar with me when I broke my arm last month,” Kakashi reminded him. 

 

“I haven’t broken anything,” Gai promised. 

 

“Then what is it?” Kakashi asked. 

 

“ _ Nothing _ ,” Gai insisted, face reddening. 

 

“Well, I’m not accepting anymore challenges until you figure it out.” Kakashi stood up and brushed the grass off his pants, cool as could be, then smirked down at Gai. “It’s a shame, too. I was kind of having fun.” 

 

Gai waited until Kakashi stalked off to run home. He crashed through the front door of his apartment, rushed to the bathroom, and wrestled out of his jumpsuit. 

 

Constricting bandages laid underneath. Gai started wearing them after the chuunin exams. He was a late bloomer in pretty much everything, physical development no exception, but that couldn’t stop the inevitable. 

 

One day he’d stepped out of the shower and saw two buds of soft tissue forming on his chest all of the sudden. It wasn’t like he hadn’t been expecting it. He knew enough to understand that intermittent soreness implied their arrival. For awhile tank tops underneath his jumpsuit mitigated most of the signs, but over time his breasts became unavoidable. 

 

With no other options, Gai experimented with different kinds of bandages. The most effective wraps were the most painful. Meant for serious injuries, the bandages tightened with every breath, every movement. Gai suffered through it, not wanting give anyone the slightest clue as to what he was going through. But after weeks of torment he was unable to hide his pain. He tried his best, but it must’ve been pretty obvious if Kakashi, who was generally apathetic, swore off on challenges for the sake of his health. 

 

Gai unwound the bandages to reveal angry, red skin. The disgust which arose at the sight couldn’t be compared to the relief he felt at breathing properly. He sat on the floor, taking deep lungfuls of air, and, not for the first time, wished his papa was still alive. 

 

But Dai was dead, so Gai had one other option. 

 

“What’s wrong?” Kurenai asked a couple of days later. She didn’t even say hello when he opened the door. 

 

Gai grasped her wrist and dragged her inside. “Kurenai, you’ve always been nice to me,” he began once he shut the door. And it was true - she was the first of their peers to take him seriously. Without her help he wouldn’t have been able to even take the Academy entrance exam, regardless of his failing it.

 

She smiled at that. “Yeah, Gai, I know.” 

 

“And you’re a girl,” he added. 

 

Her smile faltered. “Um, yes. I know that too.” 

 

He raked a hand through his hair. “I have a problem.”

 

Kurenai lifted an eyebrow. “Like, a girl problem?” Before he could object to her wording, she soothed him with a hand on his shoulder. “You know what I mean.” 

 

“Kind of,” he admitted. 

 

Kurenai had grown a lot since they were children. She wore even more makeup now, and her hair fell to her shoulders in dark waves. When she crossed her arms, Gai couldn’t help noticing how her breasts pushed out. She complained about their large size a lot, and he was especially sympathetic to her plight. 

 

“So what is it?” she prompted. 

 

“Can I show you?” he asked - the idea of saying it out loud mortified him. 

 

She shrugged. “I suppose.” 

 

He took her into his bedroom, away from the living room’s large windows. “Okay,” he said, standing across from her. 

 

Her face softened. “Whatever it is, you can trust me.”

 

He proceeded to peel off the upper part of his jumpsuit, let the sleeves fall to his waist, and stared at the floor. 

 

Kurenai gasped and stepped forward. She touched the bandages wrapped around his chest with her fingertips. “Oh, Gai…” 

 

“It’s really embarrassing,” he mumbled. 

 

“No it isn’t. It’s - you know, it’s natural.” 

 

“It doesn’t _ feel  _ natural.” 

 

“Probably because you’re in pain. That’s got to hurt.” 

 

He glanced up at her through his bangs. “What else am I supposed to do? I can’t - “ he cut off, unable to say anymore, and gestured at Kurenai’s own chest. 

 

“You can’t wear a bra,” she finished for him. This was going terribly. “Can I take them off?” 

 

Gai emphatically shook his head. 

 

Kurenai frowned. “This isn’t good for you. You asked if you could show me, so let me see.” 

 

He sighed and sat down on the edge of his bed. “Go ahead.” 

 

She climbed up behind him. Her cool, slender hands made quick work of the bandages. Gai slumped forward immediately and covered himself with his arms. 

 

Kurenai turned him around and guided his arms down. She neutrally appraised the purpling skin on his chest, prodded here and there. Gai gasped when she found a particularly sore spot. 

 

She snatched her hand away. “Is it that bad?” 

 

“Kind of,” he hissed. 

 

“Okay.” She pulled his jumpsuit back up and rubbed his shoulder. “We’re going to fix this. You might not like it, but I’ll go with you.” 

 

Gai had a vague idea where this was leading. “Do I have to?” he whined. 

 

“ _ Yes _ .” Kurenai poked his cheek. “Throw on a sweater or something. You’re never wearing those again.” 

 

/

 

“I feel ridiculous,” Gai said.

 

Kurenai linked their arms and steered him into a unassuming store filled with kunoichi. “Just relax. I know someone here.” 

 

While Gai was busy looking at all the mannequins dressed in bras ranging from ornamental to functional, Kurenai dragged him to the front desk. 

 

An elderly seamstress looked up from the cash register, measuring tape slung around her neck. 

 

“Hisako-san,” Kurenai cheerfully greeted. 

 

“Kurenai,” the Hisako-san replied. She glanced at Gai, betraying neither approval or disapproval. “Who’s your friend?” 

 

Kurenai squeezed his arm, silently commanding him to look up. “This is Gai. He needs help with a small problem,” she said, taking care to use the correct pronoun, “with great discretion.” 

 

If Hisako-san was fazed by Gai’s unfitting pronoun or nervous demeanor, she did not show it. “Follow me, then.” 

 

Hisako-san shoved them into a small fitting room. Gai leaned against the wall, Kurenai at his side. 

 

Hisako-san whipped the measuring tape off of her neck and wielded it like it was a weapon. “What’s the issue?” 

 

Kurenai said nothing. Gai looked at her, then at the seamstress. “Um, well.” 

 

“You’re a girl, aren’t you?” Hisako-san asked brusquely. 

 

Gai pressed his back closer to the wall. “Technically? I don’t - I don’t  _ want  _ to be.” 

 

Hisako-san smirked. “I could tell by that terrible haircut of ours.” 

 

“What?” Gai brushed his hair back. “It’s not that bad, is it?” 

 

“No, of course not,” Hisako-san lied. “Look, kid, I don’t really care about the semantics of your situation. Get to the point.” 

 

“He needs something to bind his chest,” Kurenai interjected. 

 

“O-kay,” Hisako-san hummed. “Lots of kunoichi prefer it.” 

 

Gai blinked. “Really?” 

 

“Yes, really.” Hisako-san rolled her eyes. “Plenty of girls are ungrateful for the gift they’ve been given.” 

 

“She’s kidding,” Kurenai assured. 

 

“Haha!” Hisako-san elbowed Kurenai’s side. “Not when it comes to you, deary. You’ve got one of the greatest pairs of badongas I’ve ever seen! You should be proud of them.” 

 

“Badongas?” Gai repeated incredulously. 

 

“They’re a nuisance,” Kurenai snapped. “I’m a kunoichi, Hisako-san. I can’t be  _ jiggling _ all over the place all the time!” 

 

Gai tried his best to melt into the wall as Hisako-san cackled. 

 

“Hey!” 

 

The two women shouted when he attempted to open the door. Kurenai yanked him backward by the collar of his shirt, and Hisako-san stepped into his personal space with a glare, all business. 

 

“You want my help or not?” she demanded. 

 

“Yes, please,” Gai said. 

 

“Then strip!” 

 

He hunched his shoulders, as if to fend off an attack. “What?” 

 

“Take off that hideous getup!” 

 

“Just do it, Gai,” Kurenai said. 

 

He groaned. “Is there a confidentiality involved with this?” 

 

“I’ve seen it all, boy,” Hisako-san promised. 

 

Her epithet comforted him greatly. Gai gulped, took off the sweater Kurenai advised him to wear, and shedded the top of his jumpsuit. Goosebumps sprouted over his bruised skin at the cold air.

 

Hisako-san whistled. “Whew. That ain’t good.” 

 

Gai stiffened uncomfortably. “I know, alright?” 

 

“What’d you do, try and rip them off?” 

 

“He wore compression bandages,” Kurenai explained, shooting a look at Gai, “like an idiot.” 

 

“I didn’t know what else to do!” he defended. 

 

“You’ll be happy to know you’ve got some options, then,” Hisako-san said. “Come over here.” 

 

Gai and Kurenai switched places, so that he was standing in front of Hisako-san and she was leaning against the wall. He lifted his arms to give Hisako-san room to measure his bust. 

 

“If it wasn’t your awful taste in style or your obvious stupidity that tipped me off, you sure are hairy as a boy,” she commented, nudging his underarms with her wrinkly fingers. 

 

Gai was embarrassed by Hisako-san’s brash assessments - personal and physical - but also slightly gratified. She completed her measurements clinically and without fanfare, then stepped back and wound the tape over her shoulders. 

 

“You’re on the small side, if that makes you feel better,” she said. “Kinda perky, not that it matters.” 

 

“It does not,” Gai guaranteed. 

 

“Heh. You’re kinda funny.” Her movements turned grandmotherly as she pulled his jumpsuit up. “I know just what’ll work for you. Your size is pretty standard, too, so it won’t have to be custom. I’ll be right back.” 

 

With that, Hisako-san swept out of the fitting room. 

 

Kurenai grinned. “See? It wasn’t that bad.” 

 

“It wasn’t very good,” Gai said. He forced a small smile, just for her. “But thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you, Kurenai.” 

 

She waved him off. “Don’t mention it. You’re a good guy, Gai.” She snorted at her own pun. 

 

The door opened. Hisako-san entered as quickly as she left and shoved a black garment into Gai’s hands. “Try this on.” 

 

“Oh - okay.” Gai held the garment up. It looked like a mesh tank top and was made of the same strong material, but half the size with wider straps. 

 

He discarded his jumpsuit again and pulled the garment over his head. It had absolutely no give. His arms got trapped. Kurenai pulled his wrists up as Hisako-san tugged the garment down. It took some work, but eventually everything was situated.

 

Bruises aside, the garment was surprisingly comfortable. Gai finally chanced a glance at the mirror opposite of him - and he liked what he saw. 

 

His mouth spread in a slow smile. His posture straightened. He placed his hand on top of his chest - which was completely flat. He inhaled deeply, and his lungs expanded as normal. He turned to the side to examine his profile. If he lifted his chin, his jaw broadened at an illusionary perspective. 

 

“I like it,” he said, giddily shocked at his own appearance. He looked like a boy. 

 

Kurenai clapped her hands. “I knew you would!” 

 

Hisako-san clapped his back. “Don’t get cocky, stud.” 

 

She explained he couldn’t wear it continuously, and that as he grew he’d need to come in for more fittings. As long as he worked with Hisako-san, he wouldn’t mind. She even offered to come to his home for discretionary purposes - at an extra charge, of course, she clarified. 

 

He wore the binder, as Hisako-san called it, out of the store after paying. Kurenai treated him to dinner to celebrate. Gai profusely refused, but Kurenai wouldn’t have it, and he eventually relented. He didn’t know what they were exactly celebrating, but he was definitely in the mood. All the anxiety he suffered melted away to newfound confidence. 

 

They were walking back to his apartment when Kurenai spotted Kakashi lounging on a random bench, book in hand. 

 

She snickered and nudged Gai’s side. “Look who it is.” 

 

Gai beamed. He ran to Kakashi and shoved the book out of his face. “Rival!” 

 

Kakashi stared up at him, entirely unsurprised. “Gai.” 

 

“I have dealt with my problem!” 

 

“Really?” Kakashi glanced at Kurenai, who nodded in confirmation, and looked back at Gai. “What was it?” 

 

“It doesn’t matter!” Gai puffed out his chest. “Are you ready for another challenge?”

 

“I guess…” Kakashi made a laborious show of pocketing his book, standing up, and stretching - but Gai could tell he was excited in the way his gaze sharpened. “What’ll it be this time?”

 

“A spar, obviously!” Gai snapped into position. 

 

“In the middle of the street?” Kakashi asked, mirroring him. 

 

“Where else?” Gai asked. “An audience simply raises the stakes!” 

 

“If you want witnesses to your demise, sure,” Kakashi goaded. 

 

Gai looked over his shoulder. “Kurenai, please officiate our match!” 

 

She sat down on the bench vacated by Kakashi, and dramatically waved her arm in the air. “Begin!” 

 

Kakashi put up a good fight and didn’t pull any punches this time around - but Gai was freshly invigorated. He managed to overpower Kakashi, trapping him in a serpentine hold, both of them covered with dust on the ground. Passerby walked around them, titterting with disapproval. 

 

“I yield, I yield,” Kakashi surrendered. He shook his limbs out after being released, and affixed Gai with a curious stare. “What’s gotten into you?” 

 

“I don’t know,” Gai said, smiling bashfully. “I guess I am just coming into my own.” 

 

“Yeah,” Kakashi said. He returned the smile, hidden underneath his mask, but Gai learned a long time ago how to read his miniscule shifts in expression. “I guess so."   
  
  



End file.
